Baltimore Ravens scouting report vs. Green Bay Packers

Baltimore running back Ray Rice scores against the Minnesota Vikings in a game in October. He's the Ravens' top run-pass threat. File/AP

Following is a brief scouting report of the Baltimore Ravens based on interviews with several coaches and scouts whose teams recently played them. They'll play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Monday night.

Rushing offense

The Ravens have not been the run-oriented team of last season, when in part because of injuries their leading rusher was 260-pound fullback Le'Ron McClain.

This year, the offense is built around second-year pro Ray Rice, who at 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds is a run-catch threat and a poor man's Brian Westbrook. Rice is the NFL's 10th-leading rusher in average yards per game (74.6) and is averaging 4.9 yards a carry. He's also the team's leading receiver (61 receptions).

"Their back is a very talented runner," one coach said. "Is he a top-tier guy? I don't think he's a top-tier guy, but he's very versatile."

The 28-year-old Willis McGahee (71 carries, 3.9-yard average) and McClain (30 carries, 4.0-yard average) could see more carries as the weather worsens.

Passing offense

Quarterback Joe Flacco was one of the surprises of the NFL last season with his sound play as rookie starter while leading the Ravens to an 11-5 record and appearance in the AFC championship game. He's big (6-6, 235) and though not much of a quick-twitch athlete has exceptional arm talent.

"The guy can spin the football," another coach said.

Flacco has been slowed the past month by an ankle injury, and last week against Pittsburgh it appeared to affect his accuracy, because he missed badly on a couple of relatively routine throws. He ranks 12th in the NFL in passer rating (90.2 points). Flacco tries to get the ball to Rice in space in the passing game.

"Are they game breakers? No," another coach said. "But they've got very functional receivers out there."

Todd Heap (37 receptions, 10.0-yard average) no longer is an elite tight end at age 29, but Flacco still turns to him in a pinch.

"He's the guy they have to go to on third down," one scout said.

Rushing defense

The Ravens have felt the loss of former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who went to the New York Jets as head coach in the offseason.

New coordinator Greg Mattison, a graduate of Madison East High School and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, was a defensive coordinator at three of college football's most renowned programs (Michigan, Notre Dame and Florida) but came to the NFL only last year as the Ravens' linebackers coach.

Baltimore has several high-level defensive players but ranks No. 14 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and tied for No. 16 in yards allowed per carry (4.2). Their 3-4 scheme has one of the best run stoppers in the game in defensive end Haloti Ngata, a powerful man (6-4, 345) who was the No. 12 pick in the 2006 draft.

"Ngata can wreck a game," one coach said.

Ngata demands double teams, but that puts offenses in a bind because they then have to block inside linebacker Ray Lewis with a fullback rather than a guard, or block defensive end Terrell Suggs with a tight end. Many offenses wait until Ngata leaves the game for a rest before calling some of their standard running plays.

At 34, Lewis isn't as fast or explosive as in his playmaking prime but remains the dominant personality on the team and still has fantastic instincts and study habits.

"He's the emotional heart and soul of that (defense)," a coach said, "and he's playing better now than he did last year in my opinion."

Passing defense

The game could swing on whether left outside linebacker Suggs is available.

Suggs has missed the last two games because of a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and it appears unlikely he'll play Monday night. Though he has only 3½ sacks this season, he's an impact outside rusher who commands extra resources from a pass protection scheme. He's also the Ravens' only rusher of note.

"Suggs is a guy you have to account for every time you break the huddle," a coach said.

Along with Suggs, Lewis and Ngata, the Ravens' other big-time defensive player is safety Ed Reed, who in his eighth NFL season has 46 interceptions, including six he returned for touchdowns. He's also returned two fumbles for touchdowns and blocked four punts, three of which he returned for scores. He's a talented and smart playmaker in the mold of Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu, and quarterbacks have to know where he is whenever they throw.

"They give him free rein," said a coach, "They say, 'You need to defend this half of the field. Now where you line up is up to you. But by the time the ball is in the air, you need to be in this half of the field or this third of the field.' That can give you fits, because you think you know where he's going to be and he's not there until all of a sudden the ball leaves your hand and there's No. 20 ready to catch it. He's made his career out of doing that."

Special teams

Baltimore's kicking has been a mess after it decided to move on from 41-year-old Matt Stover in the offseason.

Steven Hauschka made only nine of 13 field goal attempts to open the season, including missing what would have been a game-winning 44-yarder on the final play against Minnesota and a crucial 38-yarder that would have pulled the Ravens within a touchdown with 6:12 remaining in a 17-7 loss to Cincinnati.

His replacement, Billy Cundiff, is 7-for-9 in two games since replacing him, including missing a 30-yarder in the third quarter of a 17-15 loss to Indianapolis.

Sam Koch is in his fourth season as punter and is No. 13 in the NFL gross average (44.8 yards) and tied for No. 16 in net average (38.4 yards).

Kickoff returner Lardarius Webb has a 95-yard return for a touchdown and strong 27.0-yard average.

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Baltimore Ravens scouting report vs. Green Bay Packers

Following is a brief scouting report of the Baltimore Ravens based on interviews with several coaches and scouts whose teams recently played them. They'll play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field

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